Govt not to hike urea prices for next three years

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PTI

June 14, 2016

UPDATED: June 14, 2016 19:30 IST

Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 14 (PTI) Government has decided not to increase the prices of urea for the next three years, Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizer Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said today.

"We have decided not to increase the urea price in the next three years," the union minister told reporters here.

Claiming that shortage of fertiliser, including urea, the minister said the farmers could get required the quantity of fertilizers.

"Some of the measures have been taken for the benefit of the farmers as the Narendra Modi-led governments thrust is on the welfare of the farmers," he said.

The union minister further said the government has been encouraging farmers to use neem-coated urea.

"Investment in neem?coated urea was less than the general urea. Production will also increase with the application of neem-coated urea," he added.

Replying to a question, Ahir said the work for the revival of the FCIs Talcher fertilizer plant would start very soon at an investment of around Rs 6,000 crore.

A consortium of Rashtriya Chemicals Fertilisers (RCF), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Coal India Limited (CIL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL) began the process for revival of the unit last year.

"The technology for the production of around 1.2 million tonne urea per annum is almost finalised," he said.

This apart, the minister said the central government had introduced the "soil health card" for farmers. Around 14 crore soil health cards would be distributed among the farmers across the country. The government has sanctioned Rs 435-crore for the purpose.

Earlier in the day, addressing an intellectual meet Ahir had said that the Centre was ready to sanction for any projects like pharmaceultial production unit at Berhampur if the state government submitted Detail Project Report (DPR). PTI COR AAM PR ABI

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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